Get the Most Out of Your Online Health Research

Sharp.com offers a wealth of health information — including a health library and the latest news and research — to keep you and your family updated on medical conditions, diseases, treatments, preventive care and health tips. While endless additional resources are at your fingertips on the Web, how do you know which health sites are accurate? Start with the five sites below. Then read on for tips on finding additional trustworthy e-resources.
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Academy of Family Physicians Healthfinder — www.healthfinder.gov
News, publications, support groups and other resources. Information comes from government agencies and nonprofit organizations.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — www.cdc.gov
Offers statistics, disease information and health guides for travelers. Includes resources in Spanish.

Family Doctor — www.familydoctor.org
Articles about healthy living, parenting and being a smart patient are written and reviewed by doctors.

MedlinePlus — www.medlineplus.gov
Information on symptoms, treatment and prevention for more than 600 medical conditions. The medical encyclopedia has more than 4,000 entries.

National Institutes of Health (NIH) — www.nih.gov
Links to different institutes within the NIH that focus on different topics. For instance, learn about managing heart disease from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

We hope you find these websites helpful, but please remember that Sharp HealthCare does not control or endorse the information presented on these websites, nor do these sites endorse the information found on www.sharp.com.

As You Search Online
It’s easy to get a second opinion online. Check more than one site.

Medicine changes quickly. Look for a date at the top or bottom of the page. If treatment-related resources are more than a year old, find another site that’s been updated more recently.

Pay attention to who pays for and operates the site. Pages produced by the government, nonprofits or universities are often your best bet. These end in .gov, .org and .edu.

Don’t rush to action based only on information you find online. Your doctor is still your best source of personal medical advice. Talk with him or her about your research. Your doctor can help resolve conflicting advice.

For More Information
To learn more about Sharp's health and wellness services or to find a Sharp-affiliated physician, search for San Diego doctors or call 1-800-82-SHARP (1-800-827-4277), Monday through Friday, 8 am to 6 pm. To find health general information, read the General Health News archive.